Right now, there are a total of 74 beds for the homeless in Lewiston. With COVID this number is even lower. Not only do these people need beds, but they need other resources, such as food, mental health treatment, case management and laundry facilities; the list could go on.I found the presentation of the Lewiston Auburn Transitional Resource Center on Feb. 22 to be thorough. Committee members answered any question asked of them, and if they did not have an answer or were presented with information contrary to what they knew, they were more than willing to go back and get more info.
The plan is comprehensive in regards to providing guidance and resources to help people get off the street and into their own space and make them independent.For the City Council to propose a moratorium on homeless shelters in Lewiston is a direct attack on the LATR, much like the confidential location of the proposed site of the LATR being leaked to the public.
I am appalled. It is one thing to not want to use taxpayer money for the funding of the LATR; it is quite another to propose an outright block on any new “homeless shelters within the city.” This shows lack of foresight and care for the residents they supposedly represent, especially if those residents happen to be homeless, or at poverty level.
Unfortunately, any city councilor that votes in agreement of a moratorium on homeless shelters will be judged as uncaring by the residents that need them most.
Amy Sanchez, Lewiston
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